Just take a leisurely walk down Ninth Street in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, between Fourth and Fifth Avenues, past the Van Brunt Post Office, and the next thing you will see is a beautiful garden fronting a French Second Empire building which arouses in us feelings of history and music.

This is Slope Music at 271 9th Street, where you can take private music lessons. We teach jazz, classical, rock, and folk music on piano, guitar, bass, trumpet, clarinet, sax, flute, recorder, violin, and viola. Voice lessons are also available. For more information or for a free interview with the Director, Charles Sibirsky call (718)768-3804 or email: slopemusic@gmail.com.

The building inspires a sense of history because it was built in 1850, before the brownstones, before Prospect Park, before the Brooklyn Bridge. The house is awash in music because its owners, Vita and Charles Sibirsky, who moved there is 1981, started a music school called Slope Music. Since those days Slope Music has grown to include a staff of up to a dozen teachers, each one bringing their owns special gifts to the art of teaching music and making each student's learning experience a personal adventure.

Charles Sibirsky studied composition and theory at Brooklyn College and studied the art of Jazz Improvisation with the great teacher and pianist Sal Mosca. Sal's teacher was the legendary Lennie Tristano. Charles has been teaching since he was 17. Charles teaches jazz improvisation on most instruments and accepts vocal students as well.

Vita Sibirsky has been a student of the piano for most of her life, as well. She has been accepting students since 1989. Her students range from four year olds to senior citizens.

The studios at Slope Music feature Steinway Grand® pianos. The 9-foot piano is the same model that graces the stage at Carnegie Hall. All keyboard students have the opportunity to play these fine instruments. Voice students have the thrill of being accompanied by the finest pianos in the world.

Vita's studio is the cupola at the top of the building. When the afternoon light filters through the 13 windows, one feels like they are momentarily suspended above the building. Vita tries to create a warm, welcoming space for the students. The unusual setting encourages people to relax and be open to learning. The unique space makes every lesson special.

"People need more good music in their lives. They need to make it and to learn to listen. This improves them in every way, physically, emotionally and spiritually. Music relieves the stress people feel in these times," Charles says.

Above is the Cupola music studio.

Click on the images to see them in color

Below is the studio with the Concert Steinway Grand

As Slope Music has expanded, choosing the right staff members is a job that has fallen to Charles, in his capacity of Musical Director of Slope Music. All staff members have excellent background and training and boast credentials from some of the finest music conservatories in the United States and abroad. Most of the teachers perform regularly in the New York City area so the students at Slope Music have the opportunity to hear their own teachers perform as solo artists and as members of various bands and ensembles. The teachers at Slope music are living lives that are steeped in music and part of their mission is to share not only the techniques they have developed so well on their instruments but to inspire others to make music and keep music in their lives.

Slope Music also offers live music for your party or catered affair. Arrangements can be made to provide solo piano, jazz bands to ballroom dance music. Ensembles also play classical music. Slope Music is not an agent or a middleman. Bookings are made directly through the “band leader” so prices are reasonable!

If you do walk down Ninth Street on a cool fall evening, you'll see Montauk Daisies in lush bloom in front of 271 Ninth Street. You might even hear jazz or chamber music drifting through an open window.